Behind The Smiles
by Octavia-Snape
Summary: With Remus watching, Tonks unknowningly lets her guard down and Remus confronts Sirius about why Tonks changed her face.


Behind the Smiles  
  
Remus watched the intruder cautiously, his hand grasping his wand firmly. He was beginning to doubt whether or not it was an intruder, he sincerely doubted an intruder would break into a house in their pyjamas. The intruder wore a long blue mock tartan shirt which went down to her knees and a very worn grey jumper, she didn't have any shoes on and so his thoughts of her being an intruder were gone. However he did not recognise her, which did worry him. She had dull black hair, tied up loosely in a scrunchie, which was long and course in texture. She looked well toned, the clothes that she wore hung off her, her skin was very pale and her eyes? They were odd, mismatched, one blue coloured one and one green coloured one.  
  
The intruder yawned and put the kettle on the old fashioned way. She also knew the kitchen, which suggested that she was familiar to the house but to the order? Remus still clutched his wand tightly, ready if she made any false moves which of course she didn't, she was more interested in making herself a hot drink. Taking out a jar of vile instant coffee she collected a random mug from one of the cupboards, Tonk's mug he realised, and collected a spoon from a drawer. Adding two sugars to the coffee granules she poured some milk from a bottle into the cup and then at last the hot water.  
  
Stirring the drink she leaned against the sideboard glancing through the window at the pale half moon, from his position in the shadows she looked peaceful and contemplative. The woman sighed, a heart wrenching sigh and sipped at the hot coffee. She was crying he realised, not making a noise about just letting the silent tears come as if she didn't want to bother anyone. Wiping a tear away she murmured a name sadly.  
  
Remus stiffened as he thought he had been caught by the stranger but he soon realised that she was thinking out loud. She seemed like a ghost; cold, haunting, sad and alone. He thought she was very beautiful, in a very sad and doleful way, the expression made her beautiful, made her real.  
  
"Remus?" Not her voice, Sirius's. Coming quickly as he walked through the doorway, Remus took his eyes off the girl for a split second to watch Sirius coming through the door. The voice had startled the girl and she had dropped her cup of coffee to the floor. Sirius came rushing in, wild eyed until he spotted the intruder. "Oh, Tonks it's you. Sorry, haven't seen Remus have you?" Sirius asked his second cousin. Remus's eyes went back to the girl, he was surprised at who the intruder was, Tonk's hair had changed quickly into a mess of short orange spikes and her eyes had blackened, she was very different to what Remus had just seen.  
  
"What?" Tonks asked bending down to pick up the remains of her favourite cup. "Remus? No sorry cuz, haven't seen him since the party. That was my favourite mug you know, Sirius."  
  
"Sorry," Sirius said sheepishly and glanced at the corner where Remus was sitting. Sirius grinned and turned back to his younger relative who strode towards him, she stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"When you see Remus wish him pleasant dreams," Tonks said walking out the kitchen with a small smile on her face, tripping up on the umbrella stand which started off one of Mrs Black's rants. Tonks bit her lip and tried to make the woman shut up whilst Sirius shut the door and turned the lights on properly in the room.  
  
"What are you doing sitting down here in the dark?" Sirius asked as he fingered one of the broken pieces of porcelain that was the remnants of Tonks's mug. Remus looked guilty and stood up, with a quick spell he mended the broken mug which read "Worlds Best Sister."  
  
"Thinking," Remus replied smiling at the quirky mug. "Sirius did you know about Tonks? I mean what she really looks like." Remus asked quietly, Sirius looked thoughtful and sad. Remus wondered what had made the girl so defensive about her looks that she wore someone else's all the time.  
  
"Yeah, yeah I did." Sirius said and sighed. "It's not easy when you loose someone, especially when your reminded of them every day."  
  
"What's that got to-" Remus started but was interrupted by a look from Sirius.  
  
"What's that got to do with Tonks? A long time ago she lost someone very close to her, she almost gave up living at one point, every day wherever she went people would never see her just Persephone. That's the problem with twins though isn't it? You always mistake one for the other, guess that's why she changed herself. It's the worst kind of loss loosing your other half," Sirius said sadly.  
  
*  
  
Nymphadora Tonks stared in the mirror, mismatched eyes staring back at her, she touched the mirror sadly.  
  
"Goodnight Persephone," Nymphadora said quietly and climbed into bed alone. The mirror reflection watched and wiped a tear from her eye.  
  
"Goodnight Nymphadora."  
  
*  
  
Authors Notes: Sad, no? I was in one of my more angst ridden moods, it was supposed to be a Remus/Tonks bit of fluff but well this is how it turned out. I feel sorry for Tonks in a way, it almost seems like she's trying too hard. Well anyway, I think I might write a prelude to this story depending on whether I have the time. But for now, Read and Review.  
  
Yours  
  
Octavia x 


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